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Introducing the Sailmon MAX - The sailing GPS built to challenge you

by Aleix Escorsell 10 Dec 2021 06:00 NZDT
Introducing the Sailmon MAX © Sailmon

Traditionally, dinghy sailing has been all about feel and experience, but with modern technology, sailors are able to improve their performance by seeing exactly what their strengths are and where they can make improvements, thanks to sailing GPS computers.

In 2020, Dutch hardware and software developer Sailmon released their own take on the race computer, with the Sailmon MAX.

Founded by three-time Olympic sailor, Kalle Coster, Sailmon has been creating world-class displays, high-performance processors, and innovative cloud solutions for sailing analysis for many years, with the aim to make sailing more fun and challenging for racers.

Taking all of that experience, Sailmon have created one of the most innovative and easy to use race computers on the market. A device designed to inspire competition and record breaking. As Sailmon put it: "No one gets challenged by unrecorded performances!"

The Sailmon Max is an all-in-one GPS unit with built in Bluetooth and wifi to wirelessly connect to other sensors and instruments on board your boat. It features easy to touch buttons on the top and sides for navigating through pre-configured menus on the fly.

Start strong

When starting a race, the Sailmon MAX uses military grade GPS, accurate to 40cm, to guide you to the starting line, helping you get there with perfect timing. The start timer can also be adjusted with three buttons on top of the device, one to reset the countdown timer and the other two to add or subtract time to/from your running countdown, to ensure you reach the start line at just the right time.

Stay informed

The Sailmon MAX is capable of showing a whole range of information such as speed, heading, pitch or heel, as well as any data from connected onboard sensors. If your boat doesn't have speed or wind sensors, the Sailmon MAX is also capable of connecting to nearby coach boats so that you can share their data!

The Sailmon App has been designed specifically to work with the Sailmon MAX  - photo © Sailmon

Make sure you sail on lifts and tack on headers. The Header/Lift indicator helps you make the right decision and become better every time you go out sailing.

Improve

The Sailmon App has been designed specifically to work with the Sailmon MAX to get the most out of all the data you collect while out in the water. This data can be used to see how you performed, how your friends or competitors performed, and how you can improve next time you're out.

Your Sailmon App generates insights and statistics such as your best speed, best upwind performance and fastest 500m. This can also be shared live during the race to give you and your friends live challenges to beat.

The App automatically splits your sailing trip into legs, so you can focus on details and sections, rather than a full race. This can help you to see where your strengths are, and where you could improve.

If you want to get even more in depth, you can pick any moment from your entire race and see what your speed, heading, heel angle and pitch were at that exact moment, or watch the entire race in real time on a GPS-style map!

The data can also be exported for use with systems like KND or Sailnord for a highly detailed level of analysis.

Technical specifications

The Sailmon App has been designed specifically to work with the Sailmon MAX  - photo © Sailmon

The Sailmon MAX is 93mm x 118mm x 22mm and weighs 275 grams. The screen is a 320 x 240 pixel, 4 x 4" transflective LCD display with an anti-refection front glass.

"The clarity of the screen is fantastic, easily visible from all angles and without any glare on the screen. The added functionality that you don't get on other displays such as heel and pitch are nice to reference" - Kyle Langford, SailGP Winner and Americas Cup pro sailor.

It features soft keys on top and sides of the unit for menu navigation, calibration, pinging and other controls.

The device has been designed around being completely waterproof. It has no sockets or entry points whatsoever. Sailmon have opted to use wireless charging, Bluetooth and wifi to connect with external systems. That means that there is no chance of accidentally not plugging a port and risking water ingress. It features a 3600mAh lithium-polymer battery.

So if you are looking for a truly competitive sailing experience, you are interested in how you stack up compared to previous races, your friends or world champions, or you just want to see where you could improve, the Sailmon MAX is a great addition to your campaign.

If you have any questions about the Sailmon MAX, don't hesitate to email us at or find out more information on the Sailmon MAX on our website.

The Sailmon MAX screen is a 4 x 4 inch transflective LCD display with anti-refection glass - photo © Sailmon

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